Why North Korea Attacked

North Korea’s reason for going on the offensive seems to be anger over a military drill it said was “simulating an invasion of the North,” according to the NYT.The military drill, called Safeguarding The Nation, is a annual exercise involving 70,000 troops along with some American forces.

At first glance, this bears much in common with the sinking of the Cheonan warship last May, which everyone short of China blamed on North Korea. In that attack and the weeks that followed, Pyongyang showed itself ready to respond to any and all militaristic gestures. North Korea may have been emboldened after getting away scot free.